Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, New Living Translation “You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice. English Standard Version You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, Berean Standard Bible You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd. King James Bible Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: New King James Version You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice. New American Standard Bible You shall not follow the crowd in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to join together with a crowd in order to pervert justice; NASB 1995 “You shall not follow the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice; NASB 1977 “You shall not follow a multitude in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice; Legacy Standard Bible You shall not follow the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a case so as to turn aside after the masses in order to cause justice to be turned aside; Amplified Bible You shall not follow a crowd to do [something] evil, nor shall you testify at a trial or in a dispute so as to side with a crowd in order to pervert justice; Christian Standard Bible “You must not follow a crowd in wrongdoing. Do not testify in a lawsuit and go along with a crowd to pervert justice. Holman Christian Standard Bible You must not follow a crowd in wrongdoing. Do not testify in a lawsuit and go along with a crowd to pervert justice. American Standard Version Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to wrest justice: Aramaic Bible in Plain English You shall not go after many to do evil and do not answer against judgment to turn away after many who do turn away: Brenton Septuagint Translation Thou shalt not associate with the multitude for evil; thou shalt not join thyself with a multitude to turn aside with the majority so as to shut out judgment. Contemporary English Version Always tell the truth in court, even if everyone else is dishonest and stands in the way of justice. Douay-Rheims Bible Thou shalt not follow the multitude to do evil: neither shalt thou yield in judgment, to the opinion of the most part, to stray from the truth. English Revised Version Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to wrest judgment: GOD'S WORD® Translation Never follow a crowd in doing wrong. When you testify in court, don't side with the majority to pervert justice. Good News Translation Do not follow the majority when they do wrong or when they give testimony that perverts justice. International Standard Version You are not to follow the majority in doing wrong, and you are not to testify in a lawsuit so as to follow the majority and pervert justice. JPS Tanakh 1917 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou bear witness in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to pervert justice; Literal Standard Version You are not after many to [do] evil, nor do you testify concerning a strife, to turn aside after many to cause [others] to turn aside; Majority Standard Bible You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd. New American Bible You shall not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When testifying in a lawsuit, you shall not follow the crowd in perverting justice. NET Bible "You must not follow a crowd in doing evil things; in a lawsuit you must not offer testimony that agrees with a crowd so as to pervert justice, New Revised Standard Version You shall not follow a majority in wrongdoing; when you bear witness in a lawsuit, you shall not side with the majority so as to pervert justice; New Heart English Bible You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; neither shall you testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice; Webster's Bible Translation Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: World English Bible “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil. You shall not testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice. Young's Literal Translation Thou art not after many to evil, nor dost thou testify concerning a strife, to turn aside after many to cause others to turn aside; Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Justice and Mercy1“You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness. 2You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd. 3And do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.… Cross References Exodus 23:6 You shall not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits. Deuteronomy 16:19 Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. Deuteronomy 24:17 Do not deny justice to the foreigner or the fatherless, and do not take a widow's cloak as security. Job 31:34 because I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside-- Proverbs 18:5 Showing partiality to the wicked is not good, nor is depriving the innocent of justice. Treasury of Scripture You shall not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shall you speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: follow Exodus 32:1-5 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him… Genesis 6:12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. Genesis 7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. speak or answer to decline Exodus 23:6,7 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause… Leviticus 19:15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. Deuteronomy 1:17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it. Jump to Previous Bear Cause Court Crowd Decision Decline Dispute Evil Follow General Judgment Justice Masses Moved Multitude Opinion Order Others Pervert Side Speak Support Testify Turn Witness Words Wrest WrongJump to Next Bear Cause Court Crowd Decision Decline Dispute Evil Follow General Judgment Justice Masses Moved Multitude Opinion Order Others Pervert Side Speak Support Testify Turn Witness Words Wrest WrongExodus 23 1. Of slander, false witness, and partiality4. Of charitableness 6. Of justice in judgment 8. Of taking bribes 9. Of oppressing a stranger 10. Of the year of rest 12. Of the Sabbath 13. Of idolatry 14. Of the three feasts 18. Of the blood and the fat of the sacrifice 20. An angel is promised, with a blessing, if they obey him (2) Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil . . . --It is perhaps true that the offence especially condemned is joining with a majority in an unrighteous judgment; but the words of the precept extend much further than this, and forbid our being carried away by numbers or popularity in any case. Vox populi vox Dei is a favourite maxim with many, but Scripture nowhere sanctions it. Job boasts that he did not fear a great multitude (Job 31:34). David says that the "ten thousands of the people set themselves against him round about" (Psalm 3:6). The prophets had always the multitude against them. "Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way," said our blessed Lord, "which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." But 'wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat" Matthew 7:13-14). We must be prepared to face unpopularity if we would walk in accordance with the Law of God.Verse 2. - Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil. Rather, "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to evil." A law alike for deed, for word, and for thought. The example of the many is to be shunned. "Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat." But "strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life; and few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:13, 14). It is extraordinary that so many, even of professing Christians, are content to go with the many, notwithstanding the warnings against so doing, both of the law and of the Gospel. Neither shalt thou speak, etc. Rather, "Neither shalt thou bear witness in a cause to go aside after a multitude to put aside justice." The general precept is followed by a particular application of it. In judging a cause, if thou art one of the judges, thou shalt not simply go with the majority, if it he bent on injustice, but form thine own opinion and adhere to it. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew You shall notלֹֽא־ (lō-) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no follow תִהְיֶ֥ה (ṯih·yeh) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be a crowd רַבִּ֖ים (rab·bîm) Adjective - masculine plural Strong's 7227: Much, many, great in wrongdoing. לְרָעֹ֑ת (lə·rā·‘ōṯ) Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural Strong's 7451: Bad, evil When you testify תַעֲנֶ֣ה (ṯa·‘ă·neh) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 6030: To answer, respond in עַל־ (‘al-) Preposition Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against a lawsuit, רִ֗ב (riḇ) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 7379: Strife, dispute do not וְלֹא־ (wə·lō-) Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no pervert justice לְהַטֹּֽת׃ (lə·haṭ·ṭōṯ) Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend by siding לִנְטֹ֛ת (lin·ṭōṯ) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend with אַחֲרֵ֥י (’a·ḥă·rê) Preposition Strong's 310: The hind or following part a crowd. רַבִּ֖ים (rab·bîm) Adjective - masculine plural Strong's 7227: Much, many, great Links Exodus 23:2 NIVExodus 23:2 NLT Exodus 23:2 ESV Exodus 23:2 NASB Exodus 23:2 KJV Exodus 23:2 BibleApps.com Exodus 23:2 Biblia Paralela Exodus 23:2 Chinese Bible Exodus 23:2 French Bible Exodus 23:2 Catholic Bible OT Law: Exodus 23:2 You shall not follow a crowd (Exo. 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